For The True Love of Music
by raysweetie
Summary: In order to save a daughter of a king, Joxer challenges Apollo to a music contest
1. Chapter 1

For the True Love of Music" by Susan Owens

Copyright 2003

Part 1

Author's Notes: Thanks to Sandy for the beta and for writing the scenes with Aphrodite in them.

The blonde bard paced back and forth while her companion watched her. "I can't believe you let him go off by himself!"

"Gabrielle, calm down! I'm not in charge of him. Joxer's not the one on parole here. He said he had things to do, and so he left."

The green eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What kind of things?"

"I don't know. I didn't think about using the pinch to find out."

Gabrielle whirled around at Xena's reply. "Well, maybe you should have! There's no telling what kind of trouble he's going to get himself into."

Jett lay on the ground chewing on a blade of grass. "Jox did all right for himself before we all started to travel together. Maybe he just needed a break. It not like he won't come back," he pointed out.

Gabrielle looked at Jett. "Oh, stay out of this! I didn't ask you."

Jett raised his hand in protest. "Hey, don't bite my head off! Jox probably was short on dinars and went to earn more."

"How? His fighting skills are better than they used to be, but they're still lousy!"

"I guess the same way he always does - and who says that you need to fight to earn money?"

Gabrielle clenched her hands together to form fists. "So help me, if he's gambling after what happened last time, I'll kill him!"

"You mean when those men beat him up?"

Xena looked at Jett but was not surprised he knew about the attack on Joxer. "Yeah, that's what she meant. I suppose you found out in prison."

Jett nodded but gave no more information. Xena turned back to her friend.

"Gabrielle, Joxer promised that he would never gamble again and I believe him. So let's go to town and see how he gets his money if it bothers you so much."

"You'd know if he wanted you to know. He would have told you already. Jox doesn't have much. He's got a very dysfunctional family - me included - and friends that aren't what they seem to be," Jett said.

Gabrielle's head shot up at his last words. "Are you saying we're not Joxer's friends?"

"I'm talking about other people. Look, what I'm trying to make clear is that you don't need to know how Jox is making his money as long as no one gets hurt." Jett got off the ground and walked away.

Xena was already climbing onto Argo. "Okay. Let's go meet up with Joxer."

Gabrielle nodded as she mounted Amber. Once Jett was settled on Thunder, they were on their way into town.

Joxer had just finished his last song and was taking a break. He slowly took a drink of his ale when he felt a rough hand on his shoulder. He turned around to see two guards staring at him. "Uh, can I help you?" he asked nervously.

"The king wishes to see you, musician."

"You must have me mistaken for someone else. I'm a warrior, not a musician," Joxer said and turned back around to take another drink from his mug of ale.

One of the guards roughly pulled him off the stool. "You don't and won't keep the king waiting. Now, musician!"

Joxer pulled himself from the guard's grip and dusted himself off. "Okay! Fine! I'll go with you."

As the guards led Joxer out, his friends rode in at the same time. Xena, seeing her friend being taken away by two very large guards, threw her chakram at one of the guards. It hit him on the breastplate, knocking him to the ground and stunning him. The other guard grabbed Joxer before he could get away. "I don't want to hurt him! The king wishes to see him."

"Why?" Xena asked, her ice-blue eyes blazing with fury as she put her weapon away.

"I don't know. He just said bring the musician."

"Fine! Let's see what the king wants already," Xena growled.

"What about the other guard?" Gabrielle asked.

"He'll be all right. I wasn't aiming to kill."

The guard then went over and helped the other guard, who was moaning softly, to his feet. "This way to the king," he said, making a motion down the main road.

Gabrielle went over to Joxer, fuming. "What did you manage to get yourself into this time? I swear, Joxer!" she shouted.

"Gabrielle, I have no idea why the king wants to see me. I didn't do anything!"

"You must've done something to get yourself in this mess!"

Joxer narrowed his eyes. "I didn't do anything except play my lute and sing in the tavern!" he snapped.

"If you sung your song, that's probably it."

"Gabrielle?" Xena interrupted.

"What?"

"Shut up and lay off Joxer. We have enough to worry about!"

Gabrielle's eyes narrowed in anger but she said no more as they all were taken before the king. To their complete surprise, the king was a little and rather jolly-looking roly-poly man. He had black hair, black eyes and wore an outfit made of gold silk. The guards bowed before him respectfully. Xena just stared at him in astonishment for a few moments until she found her voice. She opened her mouth to speak when the king ran over to Joxer and shook his hand profusely. Joxer's eyes opened wide and his jaw fell open in surprise as the king began pleading with him, all the while shaking his hand so hard that he wondered if the king was going to shake his arm off.

"You're the musician I heard about in town today! Your playing rivals the Gods themselves. You must help me, oh great musician! My daughter Meliai is prisoner of the God Apollo. He said that if anyone can play his harp, he'll let her go! Please, all the other musicians have failed!"

Joxer finally managed to find his voice and began to say something but Jett stopped him before he could utter a sound. "Look, I know what that harp does to a man but if he plays the wrong note. Even though Jox is good, he's not that good!"

Joxer's eyes glittered at the backhanded insult. "Hey! I can do this! I can play that harp."

Xena stepped in before an argument started up between the brothers. "Joxer, Jett's right. If you play one note wrong, you'll be encased in ice forever."

Joxer turned in her direction. "Xena, all my life I've wanted to be a hero and now's my chance. At least let me try. You would, no matter what the consequences were to yourself."

"But Joxer...!"

Joxer raised his hand before Gabrielle could say anything else. His posture straightened to full height as he gazed at the three standing around him. He sighed heavily, shaking his head. Then, in a very soft voice he said, "You all say that you believe in me, but when it comes down to the wire, you treat me like a child and tell me that I all I do is get in trouble and mess up." He swallowed hard and whispered, "You have no faith in me."

Gabrielle moved her foot, making a circle on the floor, and Jett just stared at his feet, neither one of them saying anything.

Xena sighed as she looked at the warrior wannabe. "Joxer, it's not that we have no faith in you... It's..."

"Well, what is it?" Joxer pressed.

"This is just beyond your skills."

Joxer glared at her, feeling a rare momentary surge of white-hot anger run through him and he felt his cheeks flushing as blood rushed to his face. "Fine! Thank you very much, Xena! You've just proved my point! I don't have to listen to you! You're not my boss!" he yelled, jabbing his finger in her direction.

Xena stared at Joxer, surprised at his angry outburst, as he turned back to the king. "I'll do it for you, Your Majesty. I'll play Apollo's harp and rescue your daughter," he said in a much calmer yet determined voice.

Gabrielle suddenly grabbed Joxer's arm, the anger from earlier long gone. Concern shone in her eyes instead as she said quietly, "Joxer, please don't do this. I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to you."

Joxer hesitantly reached out and touched her softly on the cheek with a finger, staring into her emerald-green eyes. "Then for the first time since we've met, please have faith in me," he said quietly.

Gabrielle slowly nodded. "I'll try, but I'm coming with you."

Joxer wanted to reach out and take Gabrielle into his arms, but thought better of it, so he just nodded. "Xena, are you and Jett coming too?"

Xena and Jett exchanged glances before she turned her attention back to him. Her ice-blue eyes sparkled with worry, but she nodded slowly. "I'm not crazy about this, Joxer. You're putting yourself into danger, but yes, we're coming," she answered slowly.

"It's something that you do every day, Xena, so let me do this." Joxer paused for a moment. "Music is something that I know."

The king told Joxer everything he needed to know. Joxer thanked him, bowed his head in a gesture of respect and left. Xena, Jett, and Gabrielle followed behind him a short distance away.

As they walked from the palace and back to their horses, Gabrielle felt a strange longing in the pit of her stomach. She had suddenly wanted Joxer to take her in his arms while they were in the palace. She frowned as she thought about her clumsy but good friend. Traveling with Joxer lately had been making her feel strange at the oddest times - and it was simple things that he did or said that would set those feelings off. They weren't bad feelings, but made her feel good inside. They made her feel like when...

Perdicas... Oh Gods... Gabrielle's eyes widened in sudden realization. She then knew what those feelings meant all too well and it scared her. Was it possible that after all this time?

Gabrielle watched Joxer as he carefully mounted Speckle, who waited patiently as his master settled into the saddle. He's come such a long way from when we first met. I just hope that he can do this, she thought to herself. She maneuvered Amber forward so that she was riding next to Xena.

Xena turned in the bard's direction and saw that her face was very pale. "What is it, Gabrielle? Are you all right?" she asked with concern in her voice.

Gabrielle stared bleakly at Xena, her green eyes dark with worry. "Xena, I'm really scared for Joxer. You have to stop him from going through with this! Try to talk him out of it, hit him over the head with something! Anything..." she said desperately.

The Warrior Princess smiled warmly at her friend. "Gabrielle, if I could stop him I would. But if I did that, Joxer would never forgive any of us. You know that."

"But at least he'd be alive," Gabrielle replied softly.

End of Part One 


	2. Chapter 2

Part Two

Xena nodded and sighed sadly as they rode on to Apollo's temple. Jett rode quietly beside his brother. Joxer glanced over in his direction. "If you're going to say something, then say it, but I'm not backing out."

Jett turned his head to face his brother. "I'm proud of you, Jox, and I believe that Father would be too," he said in a low voice.

Joxer gave his brother a goofy grin in thanks but said nothing else. They arrived at Apollo's temple some time later, where they were greeted by one of his followers as they entered the main altar room. "Why are you here?" the man demanded in a harsh voice.

Xena stepped forward. "My friend here - " indicating Joxer, " - is here to play Apollo's harp and rescue the Princess Meliai."

The follower looked at Joxer and sniffed. "Ah, another fool trying to be a hero." The man rolled his eyes and sighed. "Please come with me." He led them down a long corridor that took them to a large chamber. In the chamber stood crystal statues of young men, each holding an instrument. "These are the ones who failed. Do you still wish to try?"

Joxer approached one of the frozen men, touched him, and then backed away. "I thought you said encased in ice! These guys have been turned into crystal!"

Xena rolled her eyes. "Well, I guess that it's different now." She gazed at the transformed men curiously. "But why are they each holding a different instrument?"

"Because the great God Apollo does have feelings and gave them their own instrument before the spell finished its work. If you still want to do this, then come with me." The follower pointed at Joxer. "You only, musician. Your friends must remain here."

"I'm going with Joxer!" Gabrielle exclaimed.

The follower's eyebrow rose at Gabrielle's words. "Do as you wish, but if he fails, you also will be turned into crystal," he warned.

Joxer stepped in front of Gabrielle. "If you are coming, then let's go." He turned to the follower. "Okay. We're ready."

Xena and Jett both walked over to Joxer. "We're coming too, Joxer - just in case," said Xena.

Joxer only nodded as they walked behind the follower, who led them to another chamber. The man opened the door and Joxer walked in, but before anyone else could follow him, he quickly closed and sealed the door shut.

"Joxer! Open this door now!" screamed Gabrielle.

"I'm sorry, but I can't put you guys into any danger!" Joxer's voice was muffled behind the door.

"Joxer, please let us in!"

"No, Xena. I feel that I can do this, but if by chance I fail, it'll only be me as a statue, not any of you!"

"JOX, OPEN THIS DOOR NOW BEFORE I BREAK YOU IN HALF!"

"I love you too, Jett. Xena, please take care of Gabrielle."

Gabrielle continued pounding on the door. "Joxer! Let us in!"

Xena gently pushed Gabrielle aside. "Joxer, you said that we had no faith in you. Well, it seems to me that you have no faith in us either, or you'd let us in to at least support you."

Suddenly the door opened and Joxer stood in the doorway, gazing at them.

Gabrielle rushed inside and struck Joxer hard on the chest with her fist.

The warrior wannabe yelped and bent forward a little, rubbing where the angry bard had hit him. "Gabrielle, that hurt!" he whimpered.

"If you ever do something like that again, so help me, Joxer...!"

"I'm sorry, okay? Jeez! I wish you'd make up your mind! First it seems like you like me, then you act like you can't stand me!"

Gabrielle sighed. "Joxer... Look, I'm very fond of you, but I hate it when you do certain things."

"Yeah? Well, I kind of hate it when mortals come into the main chambers of my temple without being invited. So, what's up?" a handsome, tanned, and arrogant-looking young man with blond hair asked. He was dressed in gold pants and a vest. A gold necklace that had a large sun pendant attached to it was around his neck. He gazed at the mortals with contempt in his eyes as he sprawled on his throne.

Xena automatically placed her hand on her chakram. Apollo stood up from his throne. "Oh no, missy! I'll have none of that." He pointed his finger at the chakram and it turned into a snake. Xena moved her hand away, but the snake was too quick and bit her. She managed to get it off her and threw it across the floor where it landed and became her chakram again. Apollo looked at Gabrielle, who was looking at Xena's hand. "You, girl! Go pick up that weapon."

Gabrielle ignored him as she continued looking at Xena. "I'm okay, Gabrielle. Go get my chakram and hold onto it for me. I can't hold it right now. It will turn back into a snake if I touch it," Xena said, her voice sounding as if it were coming from far away.

Gabrielle grew alarmed as Xena's face became pale and her eyes unfocused. "Xena?"

"The snake was poisonous, Gabrielle, but I'll be okay." Xena suddenly sank to the ground. Joxer and Jett quickly came to their friend's side, kneeling down next to Gabrielle.

"I knew I shouldn't have opened that door," said Joxer sadly.

"Never mind! We've got to get her out of here," said Jett.

Gabrielle watched as he rose to his feet after he carefully lifted Xena up in his arms. "Gabrielle, get her weapon!"

Gabrielle rose to her feet, but didn't move.

Jett snapped, "I said, get her weapon!"

Gabrielle rushed over, picked the chakram up and carefully attached it to her belt. She then stared at Joxer with scared green eyes.

Joxer smiled at Gabrielle sadly. "Go, Gabrielle. Help Xena," he said softly. The bard was devastated. She wanted to be with both of them. Joxer sensed that he knew how she felt. "Gabrielle, I'll be all right. Xena needs you."

Gabrielle rushed over to Joxer and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Please be careful."

"I will. Now go with Jett and help Xena," Joxer whispered.

Gabrielle ran back over and followed Jett out of the chamber with Xena. Joxer turned back to Apollo. "You didn't have to do that! Xena wouldn't have thrown it."

"I couldn't take that chance."

"Will she die?"

"I don't know."

"You're a God and it's your poison!"

The blond God rolled his eyes. "Why are you here, mortal?"

"I'm here to play your harp and rescue Princess Meliai."

I see. So, you want to play my harp, huh, mortal? You do know what happens if you fail?"

Joxer looked at the God and nodded. "Yes, I know."

Apollo left his throne and walked over to Joxer, draping his arm around Joxer's shoulders. "Hey, you're the moron Ares told me about! Jerkster, right?"

Joxer shook Apollo's arm off. "The name is Joxer and I'll play your harp. As a matter of fact, not only will I play your harp, but I'll play it better than you!"

Apollo stood there for a moment looking at the warrior wannabe and then began to laugh. "Let me get this straight! You're saying that you can play better than me with my own harp?"

"Yes. I can play better than you and I challenge you."

"Brave words, mortal." Suddenly, two harps appeared. "Both of these harps are mine. I accept your challenge, but we will play for the other Gods and they will choose the winner."

"If I win, you'll let Princess Meliai go, save Xena and free all those guys that didn't free the princess before."

"And if I win?" Like I'm NOT going to win over this mortal jerk! the God silently gloated.

Joxer swallowed hard, but his voice was steady as he replied, "I will be your loyal servant until the day I die, with no will of my own."

"You know, it might be fun to have a servant... Okay moron, you're on!" Apollo answered as he waved his hand and a moment later, Joxer found himself in a big room.

"You will remain here until I get everything ready, so if I were you, I'd do some practicing, Jerkster!" Apollo's voice said. Joxer looked around, wondering what he managed to get himself into.

Jett carefully placed Xena on the cot. He then looked up at Gabrielle. "We need to get the poison out before it travels thought her body. Do you have a knife?"

Gabrielle nodded as she took it out and gave it to him. Jett stared at it for a minute then took it. "This may make you queasy."

"No, it's okay. Just do it!"

"Okay. Now you need to go get that follower. He might know what the antidote is for the type of snake that poisoned Xena."

Gabrielle stared at him. "Look, I know that you're scared, but it's got to be done before it's too late for her!"

"Do you really know what you're doing?"

"Yes."

Gabrielle stared at Xena for another moment then ran to get the follower. She returned with the man shortly afterwards to find Jett putting a bandage on Xena's arm. "I think I got the poison out," he said to them in a soft and raspy voice.

The follower went over with a bowl in his hands. "She must drink this. This will help her," he explained.

Gabrielle took the bowl and sniffed it, her nose wrinkling at the smell. "What will it do?"

"As I said, it'll help her. She'll sleep for the rest of the day, but by morning, she should be all right," the follower said.

Gabrielle lifted Xena's head up and she gave her the medicine. "I hope this works."

"I'm sure it will. Xena's a strong person."

Gabrielle looked at Jett. "Are you worried about Joxer?" she asked quietly.

Jett nodded slowly. "Yeah. I'm worried about him," he admitted.

"Maybe one of us should've stayed with him," Gabrielle said as she turned away to gaze around the room.

Jett was silent for a moment, taking in her words. "I can stay with Xena if you want to go to him," he said finally.

"Did I say I wanted to?"

"No. I just thought you did. Sorry for making assumptions."

Gabrielle sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. "No, I do, but I also want to be with Xena."

Jett stared up at the bard, frowning. "Look, Gabrielle. There's not much you can do for Xena except to wait. Maybe Joxer's the one who could use some support."

Gabrielle nodded slowly. "I guess you're right. Okay. I'll go back to Joxer. You look after Xena."

"I will. When she's back on her feet, we'll join you."

"Deal."

"Great! Then we better get a move on! Mom's fit to be tied!" another voice broke in.

Both of them turned around as Cupid appeared in the middle of the room. "Cupid, what's wrong and why are you here?" the bard asked, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"What's the matter? I'll tell you what's the matter! Joxer challenged Apollo to a musical duel," the winged God informed them.

Gabrielle's eyes blazed with anger at Cupid's words. "He did what?"

The God raised his arms in the air as Gabrielle approached him. "Look! I don't have time to repeat myself! Let's go."

Gabrielle suddenly found herself in a room. Cupid pointed over to where Joxer was sitting on a bed tuning the harp. "Maybe you can talk some sense into him! He hasn't bothered with listening to me!" the God sighed.

"Joxer... What were you thinking?"

"Oh! Hi Gabrielle," Joxer replied with a weak smile as the bard approached him.

"'Hi Gabrielle?' Is that all you've got to say?"

"Oh, sorry! How's Xena?"

Gabrielle sat down on the bed next to him and barely managed to keep herself from bopping the warrior wannabe hard on the arm with her fist. "She's resting. Joxer... Gods, why did you challenge Apollo? He's the God of Music!"

"I know. I can beat him, Gabrielle."

"How? He's the one that gives you the ability to play."

"Gabrielle, if he takes that away from me then he's cheating, and I don't think the other Gods will allow that," Joxer pointed out.

Suddenly a pink flash of light appeared and when it dissolved, Aphrodite stood in front of the two sitting on the bed, looking rather ticked off.

"Mom! It's about time you showed up!" Cupid exclaimed. "Maybe you can talk some sense into Joxer. I give up!"

"Studmuffin..." The Goddess' blue eyes lit upon Joxer, who shrunk back a little at the angry look on her pretty face.

"Uh... Hi, 'Dite," the warrior wannabe mumbled.

"Are you out of your cotton picking mind challenging 'Pollo to a musical duel like that!" Aphrodite scolded Joxer as if he were a naughty child, wagging a perfectly manicured finger at him.

"Hey! I'm here for a good cause!" Joxer's lips pursed up stubbornly. "It's not right what he's doing, holding a girl prisoner and trapping all those guys!"

Aphrodite's scowl softened and she sat down on the opposite side of Joxer. "True, but still... Hi, by the way, Miss Bard."

Gabrielle nodded and rolled her eyes.

Joxer's face grew serious. "Aphrodite, I have to try," he said softly. "It's the right thing to do."

Aphrodite sighed and shook her head. "I know... Sometimes, I wish you weren't such a dorky but cute goody-goody, Studmuffin."

End of Part Two 


	3. Chapter 3

Part Three

"Hey! This idiotic mortal challenged me in my own temple! Do you think that I'd actually turn him down, 'Dite? Do you know what would happen if I said forget it?" Apollo suddenly appeared in the room and crossed his arms over his chest.

"I'd never live it down! I'd be the laughingstock of Mount Olympus because I didn't compete against Jerkster the Not-So-Mighty!"

"You!" The Love Goddess rose to her feet and stormed over to the Sun God. She flicked his ear with her fingers before he could move away from her, making him howl.

"Somebody's in trouble!" Cupid said in a singsong voice, giggling.

"Be quiet, Cupie!" The Goddess tossed her gorgeous curls over her shoulder then turned back to her brother. She continued her abuse of Apollo's ear with relish, twisting the appendage mercilessly. The God's eyes widened at the pain shooting through his body and he yelled again. "Are you gonna lay off my boy Joxer or what? Well? Or am I going to have to get really rough?"

"Aphrodite, stop it!" Joxer put the harp down and rose to his feet.

Gabrielle sat on the bed, not saying a word. The bard watched in silent astonishment and more than a little discomfort as Aphrodite gave Apollo a little taste of what she used to do to Joxer on a regular basis.

The Goddess turned around, still holding Apollo's ear between her fingers. "Why should I? One wrong move and you're like his totally brain-dead lackey for the rest of your life! Do you really want to spend part of it washing those wicked skanky feet of his? EWWW! I'm not gonna let that happen to you, Studmuffin!" She twisted the God's ear again, making Apollo screech.

"Aphrodite, I appreciate what you're trying to do. I really do," Joxer said softly. "But I challenged Apollo fair and square to this contest so I can free Princess Meliai, and I won't go back on my word."

"What's to say that he won't and cheat just to get his way, huh?" Aphrodite queried. "This is the guy who used to like to put gum and glue on the seats when we were kids! Totally icky!"

"I won't!" Apollo squeaked. "I promise to compete with the mortal fairly!"

The Goddess gazed into her brother's eyes and she loosened her grip on his ear slightly. "Are you totally giving me the goods, 'Pollo?" she asked suspiciously.

"Yes! I promise to compete with Jerk-Joxer..." The God of the Sun and Music amended his words hastily when Aphrodite's grip tightened on his ear again. "...fairly. I won't take away his playing ability. Now please let go of my ear!" he finished with a whimper.

The Love Goddess glared at him for a moment before she gave one final twist of the ear before letting Apollo go. She watched as her brother rubbed at his ear before turning to look at Joxer. She gazed at the warrior wannabe for a long time, not saying a word, just staring into his dark brown eyes until he blushed and lowered his gaze.

Aphrodite's face softened again as she took in what she had seen in Joxer's eyes, and she sighed. "All right! You two can have this totally grody competition, but I still think that it sucks!" she agreed, throwing her hands up in the air. She turned back to her brother and snapped, "One wrong move, and it'll be more than an ear twist for you, comprende, 'Pollo?"

"Okay! Okay! I get the idea already!" Apollo held up his hands in surrender. Before Aphrodite could retort a smart-aleck remark, the room started shaking with the sound of thunder.

"Oh wonderful! Here comes more trouble!" Gabrielle mumbled under her breath as Zeus and Hera appeared.

"I have had enough of this!" Zeus bellowed. "I permit you to have this contest with the mortal Joxer, my son. I've chosen three Gods and one mortal to judge." Apollo looked surprised. "A mortal?"

"Yes, to be fair. I have chosen Ares, Hermes, Athena, and the mortal I have chosen is Hercules." Zeus looked at Aphrodite, who was about to say something. "Don't say anything, my daughter. You were not chosen for this contest because you have a strong attachment to this human." He gestured at Joxer before continuing. "However, you may stay to support him." He then motioned towards Gabrielle. "Xena's young friend may also stay to witness this contest and support her friend."

"But why Jerku... him? Why not somebody else?" Apollo protested. "Dad..." he whined.

Zeus glared at Apollo and the young God said no more. "I have chosen him, Apollo, and that is my final word on the subject. Now, are you two ready?"

Joxer bowed respectfully in Zeus' and Hera's direction. "I'm ready."

Gabrielle reached out and took Joxer's hand. Joxer turned around to face the bard. "Gabrielle, there's something I need to tell you," he said quietly.

"Joxer, can't it wait?"

Joxer shook his head. "No, it can't. Gabrielle, I want you to know that no matter what happens, you will always now and forever be in my heart."

Gabrielle smiled sadly. "Come on. If you're going to do this, then let's go."

"Well, it's about time you got a clue!" Aphrodite sniffed as she watched the two.

Gabrielle's head turned in the Goddess' direction. "What did you say?" she snapped.

Aphrodite giggled, but sobered up when Cupid joined her at her side and scowled. "I said that I was wondering how my boy Joxer was going to do!" she quickly fibbed.

Gabrielle nodded. "Okay." She turned around and continued walking next to Joxer.

"Mom..." Cupid whispered in his mother's ear.

"I know! I know!" Aphrodite sighed and they followed behind Gabrielle and Joxer.

The Gods all turned and looked as Apollo and Joxer came into the great hall from opposite directions. Some of the Gods cheered while others jeered. Apollo raised his hands and the cheering increased. "Come on, Apollo! Show that stupid human what real music sounds like!" a God yelled. The jeering and insults increased in volume.

Zeus stood up and suddenly it became silent in the great hall as everybody turned to face him. "This mortal named Joxer has challenged Apollo to a musical duel. These three Gods- " he said, pointing to Ares, Hermes, and Athena, "- and my son Hercules, to represent the mortals, will act as judges. They have all agreed to be fair and impartial during this contest."

Zeus turned to Apollo and Joxer. "These are the rules. You each will play three songs - one song apiece during three days of competition. Each day will have a theme that your songs must be based upon. The first day's theme is joy. The second day's theme is sadness, and the final day's theme is hope. The one that can make all the judges laugh, cry, and believe in the impossible will be the winner. Do either of you have any questions?"

Apollo and Joxer both shook their heads.

Zeus inclined his head forward. "Very well. The first part of the competition will commence, then. Who wishes to go first?"

Apollo step forward. "I do, Father. Joxer's the one who challenged me. It is my right to."

"Very well. Apollo, you may go first," Zeus agreed.

Ares leaned over to whisper in Athena's ear. "This should be a barrel of laughs! I can't wait until that jester loses this challenge."

"We do have to judge fairly. You know what Father said would happen if we didn't."

Ares sighed and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I know. Do you really think he'd make us mortals?"

"I wouldn't put it past him, so if I were you, I'd judge fairly. Besides, haven't you learned your lesson after you were temporarily mortal, Brother?" Athena observed quietly.

"Hey! Not a problem. There's no way that Jokester the Mighty Doofus is going to beat Apollo anyway!" Ares said with a huge grin.

Hercules looked towards Ares and Athena suspiciously but said nothing. Apollo took out his harp and began to play. As he played a fast and lively tune, the judges listened.

Suddenly Hermes began to laugh. Athena soon followed but only with a small chuckle. However, neither Ares nor Hercules changed expression.

Eventually Zeus raised his hand. "Enough! Joxer, it is your turn."

Gabrielle squeezed his hand. "Good luck."

Joxer smiled at her quickly, walked up to the center of the room and began to play. The four judges listened as the harp seemed to sing out with laughter and joy as Joxer played. Ares tried his best to keep a straight face but a smile broke out followed by a chuckle and soon Hercules began laughing too. Hermes and Athena were also laughing at Joxer's song.

"The first round goes to Joxer," Zeus announced. "The second round will be at the same time tomorrow."

Apollo stared angrily at Joxer, not believing that he had actually lost to a mortal. Joxer shuddered a little but turned around and left the hall to prepare himself for the next round, Gabrielle walking next to him.

"Xena! Please, you need to rest!"

"If you don't let me up, I'll tear you apart!"

Apollo's follower backed away. Jett smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "She can be a bit of a grouch sometimes," he said for an explanation.

Xena grabbed Jett by his tunic collar. "We need to get to Mount Olympus!" Jett had explained everything to Xena when she woke up the next day and he stared at her as she reacted to his explanation. "And how do you propose that we do that, huh?"

Before Xena could answer him, they both found themselves sitting next to Aphrodite. "Yo! I never thought I'd turn into a mortal transportation service, but I figure that Studmuffin could use all the positive karma he could get up here!" she said to them with a gorgeous smile.

Xena gave no reply as they sat and watched but her eyes were bright and alert. Apollo was staring at Joxer, wondering how such a lowly mortal could have beat him in the first challenge. He knew that he had to do better this round. Making a God cry, especially Ares and Athena, was going to be hard and he needed a song that would work. He closed his eyes and began to play.

Hercules tried his best not to cry but a tear escaped his eyes. Hermes also cried. Ares and Athena stared for some time at their brother, but then Athena sniffed. Ares remained unmoved.

Zeus ordered Joxer to go next. Joxer reached into the recesses of his very soul, reliving memories of his childhood and allowing those feelings to influence his playing. The soft, haunting, yet sweet melancholy of his song filled the hall. Gabrielle felt her heart jump into her throat and her eyes began to burn. Everyone in the great hall fell silent as they listened to Joxer's playing and tears came to their eyes. However, Joxer's playing resulted in the same reaction that Apollo had gotten: all wept except for Ares.

Zeus raised his hand to indicate that Joxer should stop playing. "Since neither of you made Ares cry, this round is a draw."

Gabrielle stepped forward. "Joxer made all the other Gods in this hall cry!" she protested.

Zeus looked at her sternly. "They are not judging this contest, mortal, and I suggest that you keep quiet."

"But how can you say it's a draw?" she protested.

"Because it is. The final round is tomorrow."

The four friends returned to Joxer's room. Joxer looked at Xena and smiled in relief. "Xena, you're all right!"

Xena returned the smile and nodded. "I still feel a little weak, but yeah, I'm all right."

"A little weak?" questioned Jett. "I'd hate to see you totally weak!"

"Xena, what are we going to do? Joxer's been doing great up there, but this last challenge was a draw. If Apollo wins the next round, then what?"

"I don't know." Xena turned to Joxer. "Explain what the rules are."

Joxer and Gabrielle told Xena everything. Xena thought for a moment. "The last round will be the hardest. Gods don't believe in faith and it will be very hard to convince them."

"I just don't understand why Ares didn't cry," Joxer said quietly.

"Because he has no heart," replied Gabrielle.

"No, Gabrielle. He does have a heart. In his own way he loves Xena, and you need a heart to love," said Joxer.

His friends and his brother stared at him in surprise. "You're right, Joxer." "Thanks, Xena!"

Xena saw that Gabrielle still had her chakram. "Gabrielle, could I have that back?"

The bard looked at her and sadly shook her head. "No. Not until Apollo takes the spell off, and he won't unless Joxer beats him." Xena nodded as Joxer sat down on the bed to practice.

Apollo paced up and down in his chamber. "How could that idiot beat me in the first round and then everything ended in a draw in the second round?"

"Calm down, will you?"

"Don't tell me to calm down, Ares! I've got to win this or I'll be the laughingstock of Mount Olympus!" Apollo shouted. "And you will... Look. This helps me too," Ares said in a soft voice.

Apollo frowned. "How?"

"If Joxer loses to you - and he will, you get him as a mindless slave. I get him out of Xena's life. Then, without him, his brother goes back to his old ways and eventually gets his ass hauled back to prison and I'll get Xena."

"I don't see how you can say that. Joxer's playing is great!"

Ares placed his arm around Apollo, who shook him off. Ares just smiled before he replied, "Joxer plays well because of you, my dear brother. You were the one that gave him that ability in the first place. All you've got to do is take it away from him," he pointed out.

Apollo stared at him. "I said I would win this fairly, and I will. If I can't beat Joxer without having to resort to tricks, I don't deserve to win."

"I'm glad to see you decided to play fair, Apollo."

Both Gods looked up as Hercules entered Apollo's chamber. Ares growled at him. "No one asked you to be here! I can't believe that Mother could possibly be glad to see you here! I know I'm not!"

"I could care less what Hera thinks. I'm here for my friends."

Suddenly the room began to shake and a very angry Zeus appeared in the middle of the room. "ARES!" Ares gulped at the furious glare on his father's face. "Do you think I'm deaf and can't hear what you're planning? I had thought that you would be fair, but I see I was wrong."

"Hey! I'm the God of war, not music. What do I know about music?" "I chose you because you are one of my higher Gods but I will not tolerate cheating of any kind during this contest! You do remember what I said, don't you?"

"Father, I can't survive as a mortal!"

"You brought this upon yourself, my son."

"Zeus, wait! Why not just take him off the judging committee and pick another God?"

"I don't need your help!" Ares growled at Hercules.

Hercules rolled his eyes. "I'm not helping you. I'm helping mankind. You're not a pretty sight as a mortal."

Zeus rubbed his chin, considering Hercules' words. "Very well. Ares, I have decided upon the following punishment for you. Your powers will be removed while the contest goes on. This way I can insure that you do nothing to disrupt the competition. I will return them later - at a time of my choosing." Before Ares could say anything to protest, Zeus held out his hands and a bright light surrounded the God of War. Ares gasped as his powers were taken away and his body sagged forward. "Now Ares may judge."

"Is that wise? He might still cheat," Hercules pointed out.

"I've heard Joxer play and I'm glad I'm not judging. I must return to Hera now. She, well, let's just say it was the only way she agree to behave herself while you were here, son." Zeus winked at Hercules and then vanished.

They all watched as Zeus left. "That was something that I just didn't need to know!" the demigod mumbled. Apollo nodded in agreement, making a face.  
Ares picked up a vase and threw it against the wall, where it shattered into several pieces. "DAMN HIM!" he bellowed.

Suddenly they heard a strong and angry voice. "Ares, that was one of my favorite vases! I want to see you right now!"

"But Mother...!"

"NOW! AND STOP THAT WHINING!"

Hercules shook his head "You should have known better," he said as he leaned against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Oh shut up, you half breed!" Ares snarled as he stormed from the room.

"Well, there went Dad's nookie out the window," Apollo observed as he watched Ares leave. Then he shuddered, realizing what he said. "Oh, ick!"

When Ares came into the throne room, he saw that his parents were seated on their thrones. Hera's ice blue eyes flashed with anger as she stood up and pointed at Ares. "Zeus was easy on you, but I will not be so merciful!"

"M-M-Mother?"

"Zeus took your powers away to punish you, but I'll do more than that! No one breaks something of mine, not even my son, and gets away with it!"

"Aw! Come on!"

Hera raised her hand. Sparks flew from her fingertips, engulfing Ares. When the sparks went away, a raven stood in the place where the temporarily mortal God of War had been standing. She reached down, grabbed him before he could fly away, and put him in a cage. "Zeus, I believe that you will need to pick another judge due to extenuating circumstances." She then gazed at her transformed son. "Oh, and by the way, even if Joxer becomes a mindless slave and Jett goes back to prison, that will not bring Xena running back to you."

Zeus turned to one of his servants. "Please ask Hestia to come and see me now." The servant bowed and left the throne room. He searched for a bit but eventually he found the Goddess. "Zeus wishes to see you," he told her. Hestia nodded and followed the servant back to the throne room.

Hestia walked in and bowed in Zeus' direction. "Yes, my brother? How may I assist you?"

"Ares is no longer one of the judges for the music contest between Apollo and the mortal Joxer. I have chosen you to take his place for the final round tomorrow."

Hestia bowed again and replied, "It will be done by your command."

"Thank you. You may leave," Zeus said. He turned to face Hera as Hestia left.

"What chance do you think Joxer has against Apollo in the last contest?"

Hera studied her long nails before answering him. "Why do you ask this, my husband? We already know who will win. After all, we are the King and Queen of the Gods. I will be waiting for you in my chambers." She rose to her feet and began to leave the room, but turned around to look at Zeus as she stood before the threshold. "Do not fail to show up, or I may have a new trophy head on my wall." She walked over the threshold and continued with a soft, "And Zeus, make sure that you feed Ares."

Gabrielle paced back and forth in the room that she and Xena were provided with for their stay on Mount Olympus. Xena sat on her bed and watched her with a raised eyebrow. "Do you mind?"

"Xena, the contest is in one hour! Do you think Joxer can win? Yeah, silly question! Of course he can win. But then again, making the Gods believe! They make their own faith..."

"Gabrielle, will you stop ranting? It's getting on my nerves!"

Gabrielle stopped her pacing and stared at Xena, a blush staining her cheeks. "Uh... Oh. Sorry, Xena."

"It's all right, Gabrielle. Look, why don't you go down to Joxer and Jett's room and see him before the contest?" Xena suggested.

"Yeah. Jox could use your company."

The two women turned around as Jett entered the room. "Hi, Jett. How's Joxer doing?" Gabrielle asked.

Jett frowned a little. "He's fine, but I think he's a little nervous. Right now, he's singing." He paused for a moment. "It's kind of sad in some parts. I had to leave before I lost it," he admitted quietly.

Gabrielle quickly left the room. If Joxer's singing a sad song, then he's definitely upset, she thought to herself. As she hurried down to his room, she heard his voice as it drifted through the halls. She then stopped and leaned against the wall to support herself as her knees grew weak when she realized that the words to the song told a familiar tale.

Steeling herself, Gabrielle pushed away from the wall and walked towards Joxer's room. She slowly and quietly entered his room and saw that Joxer was sitting on the bed facing the wall with his head bowed. She listened as Joxer sang and her eyes welled with tears as she listened to him singing about how she had become an Amazon.

Joxer slowly realized that he wasn't alone in the room and he stopped singing. He raised his head and turned around to see who was with him. His face turned even paler than normal and his eyes grew wide.

"Why did you stop? It was so beautiful," Gabrielle whispered.

"Gabrielle..."

The bard walked over to Joxer and sat down on the bed next to him. "Joxer." Gabrielle couldn't find the words to continue, so she reached out and held his hands.

He smiled sadly. "I guess you're wondering about the song?" he asked.

She nodded.

"Well... You see, I'm not a fighter like you and Xena and I needed another way to make money since I gave gambling up," Joxer slowly began. Gabrielle squeezed his hands gently and waited for him to go on. "So, I began to sing your stories for other people. It brings in a good crowd."

"How do you know them so well?"

Joxer scratched behind his ear, bit his lip nervously and gazed at Gabrielle.

"I've got this sort of curse, at least that's what Father calls it." "Curse?"

"I can hear something once or twice and remember it word by word."

"Joxer, you never told us you could do that."

Joxer pulled away from her. "It's a curse, Gabrielle. Why would I tell you about a curse?"

Gabrielle gently pressed one hand against his cheek while still holding his other hand. "Joxer, having the ability to do anything that beautiful and wonderful isn't a curse, no matter what your father's told you!" She looked at him. "Please sing another one for me," she requested.

Joxer looked at her and gently squeezed her hand. "Are you sure?" he asked.

Gabrielle nodded. "Yes. I'm sure."

Joxer nodded and softly sung the very first story Gabrielle ever told him. As he sang, Gabrielle found herself moving towards him, putting her arms around him and holding him close to her.

A throat was cleared and the two turned around to see a female servant standing in the doorway. "I hate to interrupt, but the contest is ready to continue," she told them.

"Thank you. We will be there soon," Joxer said.

The servant nodded and left them.

Joxer looked at Gabrielle and sighed. "Gabrielle, how I make my money has been my secret for a long time," he said quietly as he rose to his feet.

Gabrielle smiled at him as she rose to hers. "And now it is ours. I promise that I'll never tell anyone - not even Xena. It's your choice to tell it when you're ready."

"Thanks, Gabrielle." Joxer sighed. "Well, we better get going."

The two walked into the hallway. "Are you nervous?" Gabrielle asked.

"I'd be lying if I said no, but I came this far and there's no turning back now," Joxer replied.

Gabrielle took his hand and together they left the room. Xena and Jett were waiting for them outside. "Well, Jox. Today's the big day. So as I once heard Jace say, break a leg."

Joxer frowned at his brother's words. "Jett, why would you want me to break my leg? That's the last thing I want to worry about!"

"Jox, it's just a figure of speech. It means good luck," Jett explained patiently.

Joxer rolled his eyes. "Then just say good luck!"

Jett snorted with laughter. "Okay then. Good luck."

"Thanks."

"Gabrielle, Jett and I are going to our seats. We'll see you after the contest."

"Let's just all go in together," the bard suggested.

Xena nodded in agreement. "All right, Gabrielle."

The four friends walked down the corridor and entered the great hall. Xena and Jett walked over to their places next to Aphrodite, who gave them a thumbs-up signal and a gorgeous grin as they sat down next to her.

Joxer and Gabrielle went over and sat down next to Apollo. Everyone started talking at once. A servant eventually came out and announced Zeus and Hera. The King and Queen of the Gods entered the Great Hall and everybody was surprised to see that Hera was carrying a birdcage with a raven inside it and it was squawking up a storm. Zeus leaned over and whispered to his wife, "Did you really have to bring him?"

"And what? Have him miss the final contest? Don't be silly," Hera replied. She then took her seat and placed the cage on the stand beside her.

Zeus shook his head and sighed as he raised his hands for silence. "Today is the last contest between Apollo and the mortal Joxer," he began.

Zeus motioned for Apollo and Joxer to stand. Once they did so, he continued explaining the rules. "For this final part of the competition, you must do something that can't be done on Mount Olympus. It may be anything you wish, but you must make the judges believe the impossible and that you did it without anybody's assistance." He turned to the rest of the assembled Gods and Goddesses. "One more thing: we have a new judge - my sister Hestia, who has graciously agreed to take Ares' place. He defied me and was punished for it," Zeus said as he pointed at the squawking raven.

Xena smirked and murmured, "It couldn't have happened to a nicer guy."

"HA! That's nothing! Daddykins should've let me take a crack at Mister War on the Brain! By the time I'd have finished with him, he'd be wishing that he was sitting in that cage next to Cow Face!" Aphrodite sniffed.

Jett gazed at the Warrior Princess and Love Goddess with wide eyes. "I'm glad I'm not your enemy," he mumbled.

Gabrielle looked over at Joxer and noticed that he was flinching. She reached out for his hand and squeezed it in reassurance. He looked at her and smiled weakly.

"Apollo, you may go first," said Zeus.

Apollo stepped forward and began to play as Joxer sat down next to Gabrielle. His music was fast and furious in tone. The wind began blowing hard and the sky overhead became dark and menacing. Then, rain suddenly began pouring down in sheets inside the great hall. The Gods and Goddesses tried their best not to get wet, but for some unknown reason they couldn't.

Xena shouted over the raging storm, "WHAT'S GOING ON? WHY IS IT RAINING LIKE THIS?"

Cupid replied as loud as he could, "IT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO! APOLLO MUST'VE DONE IT WITH HIS MUSIC!"

"'POLLO, YOU'RE DEAD MEAT ONCE THIS CONTEST IS OVER! YOU LIKE TOTALLY RUINED MY BRAND NEW OUTFIT!" Aphrodite screeched, pushing her soaking wet hair away from her face. She squealed indignantly when she stamped her slippered foot on the floor and got splashed by the water from the huge puddle that had formed there.

Apollo stopped playing eventually, but the rain continued to pour down inside the great hall. He walked back over to where Joxer was sitting and gave him a smug look as he took his own seat. Joxer swallowed hard, but stood up and went before the dripping wet judges. He bowed to them in a gesture of respect, and once given the signal, he began to play.

Joxer's music was strong but gentle as the rain continued its heavy downpour inside the great hall. Suddenly the rain stopped and the sun broke through, shining down on everyone. The Gods suddenly began to cheer Joxer instead of jeering him.

Jett stood up and whistled his approval. "I knew you could do it, Jox! I never had a doubt!"

Xena looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Not even the slightest bit of one?" she asked dryly.

Jett shrugged his shoulders. "Well..."

Zeus stood up and raised his hands for silence. "The judges will now leave here to debate about who is the winner of this competition and they will not return until a decision has been made."

It was an hour later before the four returned to the great hall and took their seats. Hestia stood up and faced everyone once the hall was silent. "This was a very hard choice for us to make," she began in her soft and gentle voice.

"Apollo and Joxer made us believe in the impossible and both of them played their best in the competitions that were held over these past three days. However, we have chosen Joxer as the overall winner of this musical duel, for he made the sun come out and since Apollo is the Sun God, Joxer shouldn't have been able to do it, but he did."

Gabrielle hugged Joxer tightly and whispered, "I knew you could do it!" as cheers rose up in the great hall and the transformed Ares' angry squawking increased in volume. Joxer smiled and blushed a little as Xena, Jett, and Aphrodite joined them.

The Goddess was bubbling over with joy. "Yay, Studmuffin! Way to go! WOO HOO!" she crowed.

End of Part Three 


	4. Chapter 4

Part 4

Apollo turned to Joxer and a vial appeared in the God's hand. "Here. Have someone rub this on Xena's hand. She must not rub this on herself. Once this has been completed, the spell will be broken and she will be able to touch her chakram again," he explained.

"What about the Princess Meliai and those men who were turned to crystal?" Joxer asked as he cautiously took the vial from Apollo.

"She has been returned to her father and the men are free, as I promised. Take a look." Apollo produced a scrying mirror and they all leaned around to see a young girl running into her father's arms.

"Oh, my daughter! You're safe!" the king exclaimed.

"Yes, Father. I've missed you so much! Someone came and set me free."

The king held his daughter tightly. "Yes, and the reason why you're safe is because of the great musician, Joxer."

The image then changed to the temple room where all the transformed men were standing in. The group watched in silence as all the men changed from crystal back to flesh and blood and they looked around in surprise. The men were so overjoyed that they were back to normal that they were patting each other on the back. "How?" one of them asked.

"I have no idea," said another one, "but we're free. I'm going home!" All the other men agreed and they left the temple, carrying their instruments with them.

Joxer smiled again and the rest of the Gods cheered. As the images finally cleared away and the mirror disappeared from the God's hand, Aphrodite suddenly grabbed Apollo's left ear. "OW!" the Sun God screeched as she twisted it mercilessly. "LEGGO OF MY EAR, 'DITE!"

"I told you that you were dead meat once the contest was over, 'Pollo! Nobody gets away with messing up my new wardrobe!" the Love Goddess informed him. The two disappeared in a shower of gold and pink sparkles, but not before Apollo let out a loud and painful yelp that echoed throughout the hall.

Jett suddenly took the vial from Joxer and turned to Xena. "Do you mind?" he asked.

"Go right ahead."

Jett opened the vial and slowly rubbed the sweet-smelling stuff on Xena's hand.

The raven squawked even louder as Jett rubbed the antidote into Xena's hand.

When Jett was done, Gabrielle gave Xena her chakram. Xena held it for a moment and said, "Welcome back old friend." She then placed it back where it belonged on her hip.

Hera stood up, her strange ice-blue eyes shimmering with revulsion as she gazed at the mortals. "This contest is over and if I have to look at his ugly face," she exclaimed, pointing at Hercules, "for much longer, then I won't be held responsible my actions, so you will all leave now!" She waved her hand and all the mortals found themselves back on Earth.

"Wow. When Hera said now, she really meant now," Joxer mused.

"Yeah. Well, if I had to look at her ugly face for much longer, then I would've puked!" Hercules replied with a grin. Everyone else laughed at his comment as he turned around to face Joxer. "I think that you did a great job, Joxer. It's not often that a human beats a God - especially the way you did it - fairly. Congratulations." He reached out and gripped Joxer's upper arm.

"Thank you, Hercules," Joxer returned the grip with a warm smile.

The demigod nodded. "Well guys, it's been fun, but I've got to be hitting the road. Iolaus is supposed to meet up with me outside of Corinth, so take care," Hercules said.

"Bye, Hercules. Tell Iolaus we said hi."

"I will, Gabrielle," the demigod promised. "Bye, Xena. Jett."

"Goodbye, Hercules," said Xena and Jett nodded. With a wave of his hand, the demigod turned around and walked away from the group.

Joxer stood next to Xena as they watched Hercules leave. "Joxer, do you want something?" she asked curiously.

Joxer nodded. "I wanted to say that I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"Yelling at you earlier."

Xena smiled warmly. "I've forgotten all about that, Joxer. I'm the one who needs to apologize this time. You did a great job, Joxer, and I'm very proud of you." Xena leaned over and gave him a small kiss on the cheek.

Joxer's face turned beet-red and both Gabrielle and Jett hid smiles behind their hands. "Jeez, Xena! What did you do that for?" he sputtered.

"Because I wanted to," Xena replied.

Joxer gave her one of his famous grins in response. Gabrielle suddenly took Joxer by the hand and he gazed at her curiously. "Joxer, you said up there that you care for me."

"Yeah, I did. I'm sorry, Gabrielle. I had no right to say that."

"Joxer, I'm not mad at you. I just wanted you to know I care about... No, that's not enough." Gabrielle looked directly into Joxer's eyes and said, "Joxer, I love you."

Joxer stared at her for a minute. "You love me. Just like that," he said flatly.

"What do you mean 'just like that'? Joxer, you said that you care for me!"

"I do, Gabrielle - and it's more than just caring about you. I've been in love with you for a long time."

"I know, and now I love you."

"Yeah, but for how long is it going to last this time? Until the spell's broken and you can just laugh at me again for even thinking that we could ever be in love? Until I do something wrong again? Gabrielle, I'm not a toy that you can just play with whenever you want to and then toss me aside whenever you feel like it!"

"What are you talking about? Joxer, where is this coming from?"

Xena tapped Jett on the arm. "I think that we better check on the horses," she said quietly. Jett nodded and followed her, leaving Gabrielle and Joxer alone.

Joxer shook his head. "Gabrielle, I love you. I've been in love with you ever since the day that you were hit by those arrows that Bliss got his naughty little hands on and you fell in love with me."

Gabrielle laughed at that. "Oh, that! Joxer, that wasn't real! We were both under the spell of those stupid arrows!"

Joxer gazed at her sternly. "I wasn't hit by any arrows! My feelings for you were true and you laughed at the idea of us two ever being in love! And you expect me to believe that you love me now? Gabrielle, the reasons why you're saying this is because I beat Apollo and you think that you're making me feel good about myself!" He turned away from her. "Gabrielle, could you please go away and leave me alone?" he asked in a very small voice.

Gabrielle's face turned white. "Joxer, I mean it! I love you! Please, believe me!"

"I want to, Gabrielle, but I can't."

"Why? Tell me why, Joxer!"

"Because it doesn't seem real," Joxer whispered. He walked away then, angrily wiping at his eyes with the back of his hand and leaving Gabrielle alone in the field. Gabrielle stood in the spot that Joxer had left her in, her body numb with disbelief. She stared ahead, not seeing anything. Suddenly Aphrodite appeared and Gabrielle found herself crying in the Love Goddess' arms. "Why doesn't he believe that what I'm saying is true?" she sobbed.

Aphrodite sighed and snapped her fingers. A delicate pink silk handkerchief appeared and she gave it to the disconsolate bard. "Here. You and I need to have a serious heart-to-heart, Blondie," she said. She snapped her fingers again and two overstuffed pink chairs appeared in the middle of the field. "Take a seat," the Goddess motioned towards the chair opposite her as she sat down and delicately crossed her legs.

Gabrielle sat down in the chair, wiped her eyes and loudly blew her nose into the silk hankie. The Goddess wrinkled her nose in distaste at the racket the bard made as she attempted to calm herself down. Ick! Mortals and their wicked disgusting habits! she thought to herself. "Uh, you can keep that."

Gabrielle nodded and sniffled loudly. "Thanks," she mumbled.

"Feel a little better?" the Love Goddess asked softly.

"Yeah," Gabrielle sniffled again, using her hand to wipe the last of the tears streaming down her cheeks away. "I don't understand! Why did Joxer say that?"

Aphrodite sighed heavily as she faced the bard. "Well, my boy Joxer's had his love life messed around with one too many times, so for you to say the one thing that he's always dreamed you of saying to him kind of loses its luster when he remembers that."

The Goddess slumped down a little in her seat while she put her elbows on her knees and cupped her face in her hands as she gazed unhappily at the bard. "And the one time that myself or Cupie don't happen to be involved in some way and you finally get a clue and mean what you're saying, Miss Thing, he doesn't believe you! This royally sucks!" Aphrodite paused for a moment before she continued with a soft, "But then again, I kind of don't blame Studmuffin either. I'm at fault for causing some of this mess, after all."

"Wait! What Joxer said about not being hit by Bliss' arrows... that was true?" Gabrielle asked.

"Yep. Take a look at the goods for yourself right here, honey." The Goddess waved her hand and Gabrielle saw an image of herself and Joxer inside the temple, Cupid standing behind them and Xena standing at Cupid's side. She couldn't hear anything, but she didn't need to. She watched as Cupid took the spell off her first and then he tried taking it off Joxer, to no avail.

The image then changed to her, Joxer, and Xena sitting in front of the fire later that evening after the arrow spell had been broken. She studied the look on Joxer's face after she had left to go to bed. She saw Xena as she rose to her feet then and gazed down at Joxer sympathetically as she gripped his shoulder briefly before she too went to bed. Then, she finally saw how Joxer looked when he turned back to the fire.

"Oh, Gods! I had no idea!" Gabrielle whispered, putting her hand over her mouth.

"The next day, he was acting like his normally cheerful self..."

"It's a bit of a rude awakening, isn't it?"

"Yes! But why didn't he say anything?"

"Because he's been pushed aside or laughed at so many times in his life - first off by his family and then by people he thought were his friends but turned out to be otherwise. It didn't help matters at all that you regularly used him as your punching bag or the walking butt of your jokes either, y' know, Miss Bard," the Goddess pointed out. "The boy's got it bad for you, don't get me wrong, but he's got his pride too."

Gabrielle squirmed uncomfortably in her seat and sighed, nodding in silent agreement.

"But in spite of all that, he still loves you with all of his heart," Aphrodite said quietly. "Studmuffin's got the biggest heart full of love I've ever seen in a mortal, and considering the totally nasty way he and his brothers grew up, that's saying a lot." The Goddess paused for a moment as she searched the beautiful bard's face carefully. "Tell me how you feel when you think about Joxer. No flowery and totally boring epic bardic speeches, just whatever comes to that pretty little head of yours."

Green eyes slowly turned up to meet blue. "I'm scared, Aphrodite," Gabrielle said finally. "I feel my stomach turning inside out and my heart feels like it's going to explode through my chest - but it's not a bad feeling..."

Why isn't it bad?"

The bard struggled with herself as she tried to express her feelings. "It feels kind of like when I was with Perdicas, but it's totally different too! Sometimes Joxer does these crazy things that make me so damn mad at him, then he'll turn around and he'll do something like this... And then there's the little things he says and does to make everybody laugh and forget about the bad things..." Her voice slowly trailed off.

The Goddess said nothing and simply waited for Gabrielle to continue. After a while, Gabrielle slowly looked up to gaze into Aphrodite's eyes. "I once said to you that love was sweet, kind, and gentle and you said I had a lot to learn about love," she said softly.

"Yep. I sure did." Aphrodite rose to her feet then and gave the bard a gorgeous grin. "So, it seems like those words are finally beginning to sink inside that stubborn little skull of yours, huh Blondie?"

A slow smile surfaced on Gabrielle's face as she also rose to her feet. "Yeah. They are," she admitted.

"Just give it time, sweet cheeks. You'll get the rest of it one day, but you're off to a pretty groovy start for now." Aphrodite tossed her curls over her shoulders, snapped her fingers and the chairs disappeared. "The big L thing can be a rocky road at times, but when you get to the smoother sections, it's pretty darn rewarding."

Gabrielle blinked in surprise at Aphrodite's words and the Goddess giggled.

"Hey, I am the Goddess of Love, after all! It's my business to know about these things! And speaking of business, I've got some personal business to take care of - namely some with my snookums Hephy, so I've gotta make tracks for now! Remember what I said!" she exclaimed as she snapped her fingers and disappeared in a rose-scented shower of pink sparkles

. "I will!" Gabrielle called out as Aphrodite disappeared. Snookums? she thought to herself.

Aphrodite's voice echoed in Gabrielle's head. And like Pookie is any better, Miss Bard? she asked.

Good point, Gabrielle chuckled to herself. She heard the Goddess laugh throatily in her mind and she shook her head, thinking over what she and Aphrodite talked about. She heard somebody stepping on a broken tree branch then and she looked up to see who it was. The smile quickly left her face as Joxer slowly walked over to her and stopped a couple of paces away from her.

"Gabrielle, I'm not sure if you're in love with me or if it's something else.

But if you're ready to try and see where this path will lead us, I'm ready to do the same thing," Joxer told her softly.

Gabrielle gazed up into Joxer's troubled dark eyes and reached up to caress his cheek. "Joxer, I said that I love you and I do. There'll be times that I'll be angry with you, but that doesn't mean I don't love you. So please try to be patient with me, okay?"

Joxer nodded. "I will." He reached up and scratched the back of his neck. "I'm sorry I made you cry, Gabrielle."

Gabrielle nodded and smiled. "I know." She held her arms out towards him. "Hug?" she asked.

Joxer returned the smile and pulled Gabrielle into one of his best hugs, which she eagerly returned. Carefully, Joxer kissed the top of her head, wondering what her reaction would be. Gabrielle simply snuggled closer against him in response and he relaxed, deeply inhaling the soft scent of daisies and vanilla wafting from her hair. As they stood in the middle of the field, arms wrapped around each other with eyes closed, they wondered what the future held in store for them.

Epilogue:

Zeus lay in his bed with Hera as Ares squawked in the cage. "Hera, please change him back! I can't take his squawking much longer!"

I will on one condition. You never so much as much look at another woman again."

"But Hera!"

"Zeus..."

"All right! All right! Just change him back before I go insane!"

Hera nodded in agreement. "Oh, and make sure that you return his power, Zeus."

Zeus nodded and Hera raised her hands. Swirls of light surrounded Ares and he transformed back to his human form. Zeus then waved his hand and returned his Godly powers.

"You have your powers back. Now leave," ordered Zeus.

"Gladly!" Ares snarled as he vanished.

Zeus sighed. "Maybe next time, he will learn not to defy me."

"No, my husband. The next time, our son will know not to break anything that belongs to me."

The End 


End file.
